Ox-Cart Man

There are so many children’s books that have knitting in them that I want to share with you. I discovered this book on a Listmania! list on amazon.com.

Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall and illustrated by Barbara Cooney

 

Donald Hall pens the story handed down through oral tradition, that takes several snapshot views of a year in the life of a New England farmer in the early 19th century. The ox-cart man packs up his cart with all the goods he and his family have made and grown throughout the year, travels several days to Portsmouth Market and sells everything including his ox and cart. He then buys supplies for the coming year, goes home to his family and is productive all winter, spring, summer and fall—and so the cycle repeats.

He packed a bag of wool
he sheared from the sheep in April.

He packed a shawl his wife wove on a loom
from yarn spun at the spinning wheel
from sheep sheared in April.

He packed five pairs of mittens
his daughter knit from yarn spun at the spinning wheel
from sheep sheared in April.

Ox-Cart Man won the Caldecott Medal for it’s distinction of being the most distinguished American picture book for children published in 1980. The peaceful illustrations by Barbara Cooney are reminiscent of the early 19th century technique of painting on wood.

Unlike so many books I’ve blogged about, this one is still in print and available (in 2009)!

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